The poor lemon. It's so common that you ignore it even in the midst of its high season. But we tend to agree with Chez Panisse Fruit, which lists this tart fruit as a cooking staple. No one will be surprised to learn that the book's authors dote on the low-acid Meyer lemons, which have become a defining ingredient in California cuisine. But nothing beats the mouthpuckering juice of a Eureka or Lisbon lemon,......

Certain summer fruits—tomatoes and peaches come to mind—are poster children for farmer's markets. When these ingredients are bound for the supermarket, they're picked way too early and stored in taste-damaging conditions. We've always thought the European pear (as opposed to its expensive Asian cousin) was more forgiving. It keeps well in a cool environment, allowing a producer to stretch the season for months. It ripens off the tree so you can pick it when......

Whenever we see persimmons, we remember one of our first encounters with the matte orange fruit. Some joker had set out a bowl filled with pretty persimmon wedges and so of course we tried one. This, it turns out, is a Bad Idea. If you make the same mistake we did, the tannins in the fruit will wither your tongue and completely dry out your mouth. It's a distinctive, odd, and not very pleasant......